Things You Need to Know When Taking a Testosterone Test

Testosterone is frequently considered to be male hormone but, in fact, women also have testosterone. High level of this hormone in women’s body and low level in men’s body can result in serious health problems. For this reason, it is important to check testosterone level form time to time to make sure that you are healthy.

In order to check the level of testosterone the doctor needs to perform a blood test. Easy testosterone testing you can do even at home. But much more accurate https://www.hgha.com/testosterone-testing/ should be taken in the morning in a hospital or specialized laboratory. People, who have never taken a hormone test, usually have very little information about it. Some of them are fasting before taking testosterone test, others are coming to take blood test in the afternoon. It is important to consult your doctor and follow his/her instructions do receive correct hormone test results.

Time of the Day

It is generally accepted and recommended by clinical practice guidelines to take blood for evaluation early in the morning. The highest level of testosterone is found in blood in the morning, and the lowest – in the evening. Blood tests taken in different time of the day even from healthy people show different results. The doctors believe that taking blood with the highest level of hormone is better to see the real condition of your health. However, sometimes it is necessary to retake the test to confirm that results are correct.

Food and Medication Impact

Intake of food and medication is more important than the time of the day, when you are taking blood tests. Medical studies show that meal of different macronutrient and caloric content have various testosterone response. Fat rich meals might lower the level of hormone. Such a significant reduction can remain for about 9 hours. Before taking the test, the doctor will give you certain instructions, and ask to stop taking medication that might affect the level of testosterone. There are specific medications that can artificially increase the level of hormone:

estrogen therapies

anticonvulsants

steroids

barbiturates

Certain medications, containing opiates, can affect the level of testosterone and violate result of blood test. If you take any of them, you need to end your treatment course and only then take blood test.

Treating Abnormal Testosterone Levels

After taking a test, it is important to consult with a good doctor to get the right treatment of abnormal levels, if necessary. The most widely-spread treatment is hormone replacement therapy. It can be an injection, topical testosterone gel or a skin patch. Though the treatment is popular, it also has its negative effects, including sleep apnea, formation of blood clot, risk of heart attack, acne, etc.

Health is something people should always take care of. If you feel that your body does not work properly for some reason, you’d better see a doctor. Even if there are no signs of health problems, taking a blood test might be useful to prevent any problems in the future.